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Truckies gearing up for the Lights on the Hill Convoy

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12 September 2017

The Lights on the Hill Convoy is a much-cherished event in the transport community. The memorial convoy gives drivers and their families an opportunity to come together for a weekend to celebrate the truckies of Australia and pay tribute to those truckies who’ve been taken too soon.

The downlow on this year’s event

Now, the Lights on the Hill Convoy is gearing up for another year of family fun, entertainment and over 600 prime movers. The weekend-long event will be held over the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend, from September 30 to October 1.

The Lights on the Hill Convoy is continuing its love of the Gatton Showground, with the event taking place at the venue for another year. The gates open at 9:30 am on the Saturday with rides for kid’s ready to go. The event features live acts including Jeff Brown, Mickey Pye, Kerry Kennedy & Double Barrel and Travis Collins, as well as a truck show trophy presentation and a live-cast of the NRL Grand Final.

The big convoy

They come in big rigs and small – but mostly big. Close to 600 monster primers descend on The Lights on the Hill Convoy, travelling along the Warrego Highway to Gatton from Brisbane and Toowoomba. It’s designed to honour the memory of truck drivers who have been lost on our roads and from other causes, and is a perfect time to raise awareness of safety on our roads – whether you drive a truck, haul a heavy haulage trailer or operate a car.

Juanita Johnson, who is the Lights on the Hill Secretary, said the annual drive was a reminder to motorists to be aware of the difficulties truckies face, especially on long-haul drives.

“Drivers have to be aware of what truck drivers can and can’t do”, further elaborating “they can’t pull up that quickly (due to their size) and if as a vehicle driver you can’t see the truck driver’s mirrors, they can’t see you”.

According to RACQ, the latest figures show that 20% of all road fatalities in Queensland involve heavy vehicles, despite only making up 3% of all vehicle user in the state. Head of Technical and Safety Steve Spalding says that this trend hasn’t improved in 2017 so now is the time to educate motorists on how to share the road with truck drivers, “this message is particularly important for drivers in regional areas where large trucks frequent our roads and highways.”

The convoy sets off on the Saturday of the event at 10am, before arriving at the Gatton Showground just in time for the AFL Grand Final which will be telecasted on the big screen.

Along with the prime mover convoy, there will be a memorial service held at Lake Apex Park Memorial Wall. You can register your vehicle for the 2017 convoy at the Lights on the Hill website.